Son of Thanatos
by Quicksilver21
Summary: Arthur Roe finds himself the first and only son of the greek god of death, Thanatos. Warned that his power rivals that of a child of the Big Three, Arthur must discover and reign in his powers while discovering what his father has planned for him and his untapped power that incites the curiosity of the gods themselves. Does great power always have to bring tragedy?


**_The Son of Thanatos - Chapter 1 - Awakening_**

Arthur leant against the wall of his classroom, his eyes lightly closing as a smirk crossed his face as a dark thought passed through his thoughts. He scolded himself inside, but his light smirk didn't leave his lips still. The aforementioned dark thought was related to the red stained wall behind him, he had noted that it had dried already. He exhaled gently, letting a cloud of dusty white smoke free from his mouth as he did so. Smoking was another thing he normally refrained from doing, yet right now he felt that he was pretty deserving of his smoke. He felt it help him cope rather well with the scene his dim blue eyes rested upon once more they slowly opened. Bodies strewn across desks and the floor, blood staining every other inch of the room from the floor to approximately halfway up the walls. More disturbing than that were the entrails littered over the floor. Intestines covered as much of the floor as blood did. Bone shards were a common hazard if Arthur were to try walking across the floor, and that one unscathed whole eyeball that looked like it could roll across the floor with the slightest tap was especially unsightly. The shards of the door that remained were also bloodstained, unsurprisingly. Arthur's cheeks were dry, his eyes unstained, his demeanour naught but calm. He'd never feared death, despite not knowing his true heritage, his true father. He sighed, letting his cigarette fall out of his right index and middle finger and into the embrace of gravity to silently smack against a coincidentally unstained and still dirty patch of the floor. He stamped out the cigarette, wondering how he was going to explain this one. Only when possible excuses were flying through his mind did he stop and ponder the obvious question, what exactly had happened here? Having quickly examined the room upon entering it and seeing the massacre, he'd seen necks ripped apart and chunks of flesh missing from every other person. This was not the work of a human.

As if in response to his thoughts, his questions suddenly became answered. With another blink, his eyes began to sting and his pupils glowed a faint purple. Something inside him was responding to the death in the room. His vision was no longer the same, for the first time in his life he _saw_ death. The scene in front of him became far more horrific as he watched ghost-like apparitions of his classmates and teacher go about business as normal before... something burst in and began transforming the room into the scene that Arthur had already memorised, the bloodstained room filled with corpses. He struggled to make out what exactly the creature was. It looked akin to lion, or so he thought at first. Wings were clear to see on its back and its head was clearly that of a man and it even sported a scorpion-like tail. What Arthur was watching was how they died, of this he was sure, but he was more curious about how he was watching it. The scene didn't bother him anymore than the room full of bodies, death didn't make him uncomfortable. Arthur didn't believe in magic, yet, but did happen to be loosely religious and after a few moments of the scene finishing, his eyes still glowing faintly, he attributed it to another being, a deity. Of all the questions he probably should've asked about the situation, he chose a simply casual question instead, at least to start with.  
"Where are you?"

Answering his call, a figure faded into existed leaning against the opposite wall to Arthur. He had skin the colour of teakwood, a lean and muscular body covered by a simple loincloth. His black hair flowed down to his shoulders, contrasting to his shining golden eyes and regal features. Most noticeably, wings were visible on his back, shimmering different shades by the moment. His golden eyes didn't leave Arthur, staring him down as if he were testing the young man as he spoke.  
"Disturbing, isn't it?" His voice was smooth, as casual as Arthur's thoughts.  
"Why show me this then?" The schoolboy shot back in a mere moment, his blue-purple eyes locked in a staring contest with the unnamed deity in front of him.  
"You showed it to yourself, Arthur, albeit with my power. The same power that attracted that Manticore here to kill all your friends and acquaintances." Silently weighing Arthur up by the speed and viciousness of his reply, the winged fellow quickly switched tactic to poke and prod Arthur with his words, not concealing his intent to size him up.  
"Gloating murderer or reluctant explainer?" Arthur let an exasperated sigh slip from his lips as he pushed of the wall, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his jeans and taking a step forward. He raised an eyebrow at the man, waiting for an answer. He'd clearly expressed his lack of amusement at the verbal trap the man was clearly luring him into.  
"I didn't send the Manticore, nor was I sent here to explain anything. I came of my own volition, to see you with my own eyes, Arthur, before the camp comes to take you in."  
"Mind telling me your name, or who you are at all? Can't say I know anyone with wings." A scowl now crossed Arthur's features. He wasn't happy, this man was implying to have all the answers that he wanted without any duty to give them to him.

A little part of Arthur wanted to jump the man, get the answers to the questions that were racing through his mind. He breathed calmly, as he always did. Chaotic displays of emotion were below him, or so he'd always thought. He'd never understood the way people always seemed to keep their feelings at the forefront and in control of their actions. He was a calm, controlled individual who thought himself the sole master of his mind. Seeing a monster maul people he knew he could deal with, calmly. Seeing an unexpected room full of dead people, took a minute but he could move past it. But around this man... his hands felt cold, his eyes buzzed and his hairs stood on edge. He felt... uneasy. With a brief smirk that Arthur instantly likened to his own, the man spoke.  
"I'm Thanatos, god of death and father of Arthur Roe." For the first time in years, Arthur's eyes visibly widened. The purple glow around his pupils shone brighter, his empowered eyes heightening. He saw something new, like an aura. The man was shrouded in gold light, but emanating from his mouth was a green stream. The green had a _feel_ to it. It felt... right. As if his newly powered eyes clicked with his brain naturally, Arthur understood this process. The gold was regal, godly. The green was truth. More than that, Arthur felt the words stir something inside him. Every fibre of his being resonated with the words, confirming the first fear he'd ever had. This man was truly his father and a god. The moment this sunk in, Thanatos' smirk returned. At first, it seemed as though he was proud of his son's progress. But Arthur saw past that. He wore that smirk himself, he knew what it meant. Thanatos was amused, curious, maybe even outright enjoying the situation.  
"Your powers are developing fast, shame they won't help you kill a Manticore. Now, son, I suggest you sit so I can debrief you before your protector notices I've been here." Thanatos gestured to the teacher's desk chair as he spoke, taking a step back and glancing at the door. With another frustrated scowl, Arthur obeyed and sat.

Thanatos analysed his boy for a few seconds before speaking, somewhat faster than before.  
"You're a demigod, half human and half god. The child of me and your mother. I am a greek god, as are the other gods that existence. Being my son, you're different to other people, you can do things."  
"Like seeing how people have died."  
"The protector I mentioned is an ambassador of Camp Half-Blood, a safe haven for demigods such as yourself. They'll explain all that when they get here." Arthur was grateful for the answers he was receiving. His right hand rasped the wood of the desk in front of him gently, he was struggling to take everything in. What could he even think? He surpassed that, as he did all his feelings, and looked at the situation as logical as he always did, seeing past deceit without the use of his magical eyes.  
"Aye, they could've told me all this, right? You said you came here of your own volition, but you could have observed me from afar. What information is so urgent that only you, the god of death, need to deliver it to me in person?" Listening to his son, Thanatos wondered whether or not he should be impressed. As he was about to tell his son, he'd never had a child before. He was struggling to treat Arthur like a son, because he didn't know how to treat someone that way. He was speaking to his son as if he were any other mortal, albeit for personal intentions.  
"You are my first and only child, Arthur. The Big Three; Zeus, Poseidon and Hades have a pact forbidding them from consummation with humans due to the danger they could pose. I was always overlooked on the demigod front for lack of interest. But now that's changed. Arthur, I believe you're as big of a threat as a child of the Big Three. Death is no small matter, your powers draw from the same well as mine. You could be stronger than any of us gods may anticipate."

The demigod's teeth clenched in his mouth. While he hadn't expected what Thanatos had told him, that wasn't what irritated him. As with the information earlier, he'd digest being a threat to the world due to his parents later. He suspected he wouldn't get many chances to talk with his father, he wasn't going to waste them losing control of his thoughts. His face changed, now he visibly glared at his father.  
"Thanatos. I'll be more direct, if that's how it needs to be. Why are you here? Stop telling me what other people could and tell me what only you can. What did you come here to tell me, _father_?" People standing up to Thanatos happened more than some may expect. After all, people did funny things when they were dead. But the god felt different this time, like he was talking to an immature and uneducated version of himself. He chuckled, finally amused with the conversation.  
"You're sharp, boy. You want the truth so bad, here it is. You're an asset, something I want on my side for a future... let's just say problem. It was time for me to kickstart your powers, being this close to me should get your blood boiling enough to do that. Besides, I needed to come get these souls anyway." Although he couldn't help but feel the god had omitted a lot, Arthur definitely believed Thanatos. His father hadn't been around his whole life, 17 years. Coming now when he wanted to use his son, that was exactly what he'd expect. Arthur stood up, running a hand through his jet black hair. He closed his eyes sighed, opening them to reveal the purple around them had faded, showing the control he'd established over his eye prowess.  
"That sounds like a you problem, father. I'll see you around." Raising his right hand, a small gesture to say goodbye, and stuffing his left into his pocket, Arthur made his way towards the door.

By the time he entered the hallway, Thanatos stood in front of him, holding out his right fist. Arthur understood immediately and silently moved his palm underneath the outstretched fist. Thanatos' hand opened and dropped a small, black and spherical crystal into the hand of his son. With a few words, he departed.  
"If your life is in danger..." Arthur glanced at the gem and then where his father had stood. His trademark smirk crossed his face and he lightly shook his head. He whispered, not knowing nor caring if his father would ever hear him.  
"You really are something, dad." After waiting a few seconds to ensure there was no response coming, Arthur almost gave in to his body that wanted nothing more than to fall to the floor and take some quiet time to think everything over. But a strong mind was the only thing he ever believed he could pride himself on, and he put it to good use. He had to find this protector, before the Manticore returned for him. He briefly recalled his father mentioning how his power had caused the monster to appear, leading to his assumption that the more of that he exerted and discovered the quicker he'd be found by it. But, on the subject of finding, he needed to find this protector from the camp his father had mentioned. First thing was first, he needed to go to his locker and get a spare set of clothes, he couldn't want far covered in blood stains. He used the time retrieving his clothes and changing to think of his next moves. He couldn't sit and wait around near a room of dead people, he was probably already the prime suspect for that. Yet, nobody was panicking. Nobody was running, escaping or screaming bloody murder (to be taken as literal or otherwise). The only explanation for this was that it had yet to be discovered. Perfect. Donning a white short sleeved shirt, a black jacket, blue jeans and a pair of simple sneakers, Arthur pocketed the gem and took off down the hall. He hadn't a watch, but glancing at a clock he passed told him he had a good 10 minutes before anyone's lesson ended. He had to use that time wisely.

Knowing his way around his school, it took but a few minutes for him to locate the principal's office. He rasped on the door, disappointed to see that the principal was inside. That wasn't an issue, Arthur had the perfect example. He could hear the principal's voice on the other side of the door, he was on the phone. After a few seconds, he excused himself and dropped the phone, opening the door for Arthur. was a tall man, at least 6 foot 3 inches, with sandy brown hair and blue eyes. He wore a plain blue suit, nothing unusual for him. He first quizzed the student why he was wearing his own clothes now, a question Arthur had prepped for. He spoke quickly, moving on before his answer could be quizzed.  
"I had to change after I spilled something. told me to come get you as quickly as I could, sir. Someone brought a knife into class!" Arthur's excuse was made all the more believable by the fact that this kind of thing had happened before. Despite his apparent apathy, Arthur was not the most disturbed student in his class. Weapons had been brought into class a number of times before, but the had always done everything in his power to stop any parents finding out about it. This was no different, his eyes popped out of his skull and he quickly set to work.  
"Stay here Arthur, I'll deal with this!" With a clearly restrained speed walk, Johnson set off down the hallway. Arthur waited a few seconds for him to turn a corner before darting into his office. In here, a small microphone lay on the desk, a button on the platform that held it. This was connected to the school's "public address system", a neat way to get a message out to everyone at once. Normally, if anybody used it for what Arthur was going to Johnson would've come and had their head. However, Arthur suspected he'd be distracted by the rolling heads in the classroom. Arthur's message was brief, simple.  
"Camp Half-Blood meeting on the roof. Students may be excused from class with proof of membership."

It took a total of 2 minutes for the demigod to make his way up to the roof, sprinting up the stairs at full speed to make sure he was as far away from the principal before he could return to his office. Upon arriving, Arthur slumped down on the concrete ground, pressing his back against the fencing positioned to stop anyone jumping off or anything. He brought up his knees, resting his forehead on his kneecaps. He was alone, in a quiet space. This was the time to think that he'd so desperately wanted to avoid. He didn't want to have to think about what his life was becoming, his father, the camp he was being brought to, the monster that had massacred a whole class just to get to him. Hell, it only now occurred to him that the Manticore was probably still in the building somewhere. Had he unknowingly sent the principal to his death with his deceit? Sure, he'd never been 's biggest fan, but that didn't mean that he wanted him dead by any means. Suddenly, he heard footsteps and Arthur's mind raced. Someone climbing the stairs, not concealing their arrival here based upon the noise of their footwear. Slow paced, ominous even? Definitely not the pace of a bloodthirsty beast, not the Manticore unless well tamed. Possibly the protector he was searching for. The possibility of a being who sent the Manticore at him occurred. Quickly dismissed, the beast showed no signs of planning and was alone when massacring the class, as Arthur's eyes had shown. He looked up towards the stairs, pushing up to his feet. His right hand slid into his pocket, closing tightly around the black crystal Thanatos had gifted him. A girl ascended the stairs. She was of average height and wore an orange shirt emblazoned with the words "Camp Half-Blood", a denim blue jacket covered her arms. She wore clearly slack trousers and combat boots. Her hair was a deep red colour, clearly died, and her eyes were an emerald green, sparkling gently in the moonlight. Around her neck, Arthur noticed the string of a necklace. Her head tilted when her gaze landed on Arthur, analysing him.

The boy sighed, stepping forwards towards her as his right hand slipped out his pocket and stretched forwards, extending his hand for a handshake. He was satisfied this was his protector or someone who'd killed his protector, in which case he stood no chance of survival anyway, and didn't take any precautions.  
"I'm guessing you already know me, but I'll introduce myself anyway. Arthur Roe, demigod." She didn't seem surprised at his introduction as a demigod. Made sense, he'd shown knowledge about the camp already, so why wouldn't he know his heritage? She extended her own right hand, shaking his hand warily.  
"Caitlin Skythorn. You've been claimed then?" Her voice contrasted to her look, in Arthur's opinion at least. It sounded... light, gentle, innocent. Yet, her words held back. She'd offered no revelation of who, or what, she was besides her name.  
"Was more to do with the Manticore killing most of the people I know actually." Withdrawing his hand, he noticed she seemed surprisingly calm about his mention of the beast. He didn't expect she'd be knew to this, but her calmness disturbed him... it was like talking with himself.  
"How much do you know, about the camp or your parents?" She didn't hesitate, at least showing some reaction to the beast's mention, and turned away to begin heading down the stairs. Arthur followed, matching her quick descent as he spoke.  
"Not much. I only know that the camp exists as a safe haven for demigods like myself. As for my parents... I'd rather not, if you don't mind." Towards the end of his words, Arthur controlled his voice to crack up a little. He wasn't slightly uncomfortable about discussing Thanatos being his father, he just didn't think it'd be best to play every card he had right now.

Caitlin didn't turn, she didn't even slow. He'd expected as much, but he wondered if she'd seen through his acting. He didn't want to activate his special eyes to find out what her aura revealed, such a move may attract the Manticore he was trying to avoid. She exited the stairwell through a door, Arthur followed, asking a question as Caitlin stopped at a corner and peaked around it.  
"Who's your godly parent, Caitlin?" While he had no real evidence she was a demigod, besides her clearly being at Camp Half-Blood, he wasn't aware of the existence of other species, so as far as Arthur was concerned it was a pretty safe assumption. Turning away from the corner to look at Arthur, Caitlin grinned playfully.  
"I'd tell you, but I'd have to silence you if I did. Maybe later, eh?" Following her obligatory giggle after speaking, her eyes glazed over and looked towards the nearest wall for a moment before blinking back into focus. Her head shook a little as she peaked back round the corner. Unfortunately for her, Arthur had an IQ annoyingly high and didn't get caught up with feelings in uncomfortable situations. He was perfectly suited to analyse every move she made, and so he did. Her words and following physical response. She wasn't kidding, he figured, her parent was one best not revealed. Two explanations came into his mind, a god who was somewhat evil in nature or one of the "Big Three" that Thanatos had mentioned. Evil didn't seem like Caitlin's deal, not that that was a reason to discard it if this were a serious thing, but Arthur was just amusing himself by following this line of thought. This also ruled out Hades. It _definitely_ wasn't Poseidon. Dyed red hair with a water god father? Yeah no, he wasn't gonna buy that even with all the crazier things he'd seen today. If this mattered, he would've revisited the evil thing and analysed her with his eyes. But if he were wrong in this scenario, since it didn't particularly matter, he could laugh it off if he were wrong. Thus, he took his stab in the dark.  
"Really? I wouldn't keep it a secret if my father was Zeus."

Before he could deliver a chuckle to end his words, Caitlin had half-turned and her palm was facing Arthur. Faster than he could follow, a bolt of crackling lightning shot out from her palm, slamming into his chest and packing an inexplicable amount of blunt force, sending him flying back several metres and sliding across the floor with an irritating squeak. His chest sizzled in pain, a hole in his shirt that his left hand moved to cover up as it held the struck area in an attempt to soothe the pain. A low groan escaped Arthur's lips as he rolled onto his side, his eyes closing tightly for a moment before opening. He coughed deeply, gulping afterwards as he laid his head back against the hard ground, groaning quietly.  
"Women never go for the smart types." Suddenly, Arthur could picture Caitlin as the evil type a lot easier than he could've a few moments earlier. As he finished his soft words, he found the familiar daughter of Zuus with one knee bent at his side, lifting up his left hand to get a look at the damage done to his chest. There was little blood, the scarring already being cauterised by the heat of the bolt that had struck him. The scar was small, but it stung pretty badly and had knocked the wind out of Arthur to say the least. Caitlin's voice gave out when she tried to speak, looking down at the son of Thanatos.  
"I-I'm sorry... Arthur... I-I heard my father's name, I didn't know how you knew it... I reacted badly... His name puts me on edge. I didn't mean to hurt you." In truth, he was barely listening. Yet again, his mind was being dragged back to his meeting with his father. The way his hands had felt cold was on his mind this time, likely due to the relief cold would bring to his wound about now. His mind struggled though... why his hands? Don't cold chills only happen down the spine? Why were his hands cold? His brain fed him the answer, replaying the part of their conversation where Thanatos mentioned his very presence stirred Arthur's power.

With a victorious chuckle, the hand Caitlin lifted of his pushed her hand away gently. He placed his palm over the wound as an icy mist surrounded his left hand. Cold soothed the wound, the temperature of his hand reducing drastically in mere moments with just his sheer focus causing it. He knew instantly what this was, the cold people felt before death. Was even that within his grasp to control? Maybe Thanatos was right... his power could be unprecedented. With his spare right hand, Arthur pushed on the ground, getting into a seated position. His eyes opened fully, he turned to his female companion.  
"Your relationship with your father... sounds like a you problem." With a rather chipper grunt, Arthur stood fully. His hand came off his chest, revealing a nasty red scar through the hole on his shirt that she'd left. It still stung, but he'd eased the pain a little. The mist around his hand faded, his hand quickly returning to a normal temperature now that he'd stopped focusing on it. He held out his right hand down towards where she was kneeling, offering her a hand up. It wasn't that he didn't care about her relationship with the king of the gods, not that he genuinely cared _that_ much, but Arthur needed her to know he wasn't holding a grudge and focused on the issue at hand.  
"Alright Sky, that beast probably knows where we are about now after that little light show of yours. Can't claim to be an expert, but I'd suggest we move."

Taking his hand to help her up, and then promptly letting go of it, Caitlin shook her head.  
"I'm not just here for you, Arthur. I was told that if it caused any serious issues I have to take out the Manticore. This is the definition of a serious issue, we need to take it out." Well this was a no brainer. Arthur didn't even think, he moved straight to his pre-designated response for these situations.  
"We? Oh hell no, this sounds like-"  
"No, this is not a _me_ problem, it's a _we_ problem." Raising an eyebrow once interrupted, Arthur chuckled and ran his hand through his black hair and then shaking his head lightly. He hadn't spent 5 minutes with this girl and she was already predicting him, he made a mental note to get some new moves. Then again, how could he hate his own classic, he'd have to live with the interruptions.  
"Alright then, Sky. What's the plan?" The response wasn't verbal. She nodded her head towards the corner and then took off, making considerable noise with each step in her combat boots. As she moved, her hands sparked constantly with electricity. Arthur instantly knew she was attempting to attract the beast and thus didn't have any qualms about activating his eye ability and cooling down his hands. A purple ring of light shone around his pupils once again and a cold mist soon began to surround his hands as he lowered the temperature on the move, trying to focus on doing so as little as possible and let it flow naturally. Within a matter of seconds, a roar echoed from ahead of the two, the beast was coming for them. Caitlin reacted in an instant and thrust her arms forth, firing a stream of electricity that blasted a hole in the floor in front of her.  
"Already dead people, nobody gonna care about a lil' hole like this." She quickly justified as she slipped down it, expecting him to follow suit. With minimal resistance, although plenty of mental reluctance, he slipped down after her.

They were now heading towards the front door, their exit. He didn't know where she planned to lead the Manticore to exactly, but he knew it'd be best not to do this here where uninvolved people could get hurt. While behind her, Arthur had ample chance to examine her aura. To his surprise, it was a bright pink colour. He couldn't get his head around that one. Pink had nothing to do with Zeus, to his knowledge, nor her powers. She didn't particularly seem like any kind of girly girl either, so the pink was a mystery that he couldn't solve as easily as her genealogy. Speaking of, Arthur's genealogy was what puzzled Caitlin while moving. Unlike him, she could keep the lightning between her fingers sparking with almost no focus, giving her plenty of mental capacity to think with. There were so many puzzling things she couldn't understand about him. Why wasn't he freaking out about the monster? About the deaths? About the existence of greek gods? About his powers? But the one that seemed to really stick in her grill was who his godly parent was. Unlike him she couldn't gleam anything from his reluctance to mention who it was, she knew too many unsavoury gods for that to be a reliable factor. His power, the cold, narrowed it down a lot. Khione maybe? Possibly even Boreas, bringer of winter? But his intellect said so different. He had a brain beyond the level of many Athena cabin members she knew. Whose son was he? She was running out of time to deliberate as she let loose another blast of lightning, sending the doors ahead of them flying off their hinges. She stopped instantly, causing Arthur to slow to a stop at her left side. In front of the blown off doors stood the Manticore proudly on all four legs. Human eyes stared the two down, it's tail swung up over it's body, oversized stinger ready to strike. How had it beaten them here? Was it not upstairs? Had she made a mistake? It was too late to think about any of that, it was time to fight.  
"Stay back." She commanded Arthur, intent on finishing this herself with little hassle.

Her hands lit up entirely with yellow lightning, becoming akin to large spearheads protecting her hands while acting as weapon. She crouched, her knees sparking too before she leapt off the ground with a blast of lightning from each from enhancing her speed, leaving two small holes in the floor. With a lion-like roar, the scorpion tail of the Manticore rushed forth to meet her. A grin crossed her face, her combat training kicked in. Placing the tip of her right foot on the ground, she pushed off to her right, darting in that direction to avoid the stab the stinger had aimed for her face. Placing her foot back on the ground, the readied herself to push forwards before the stinger could retract and then drive one of her lightning-coated hands through the beast's face. She crouched, gathering power for the final dash forwards towards it's face. All of a sudden, her muscles gave out. Her lightning stopped altogether, revealing nothing but her bare hands in its place as she struggled to stand before crumpling down to her knees. Gritting her teeth, she felt what had happened. In her left arm there was a needle, fired from the stinger. The instant she'd darted to the right, the stinger had turned and fired a barrage of poison-coated needles at her. One had hit true and hit her arm, sending its paralytic poison through her whole body. She already couldn't move, she was a sitting duck. The stinger pulled back slowly and maliciously, charging for another strike, one that would end Caitlin's life if it hit true. With another roar, it shot forth and her eyes closed, her silent goodbyes filling her head. The stinger moved towards her heart at a speed she'd struggle to dodge if she could move, let alone while paralysed. She was out of ideas. Blood splattered the ground as the Manticore pierced flesh...

In the meantime, Arthur was watching. He didn't like being commanded, but she looked like she could handle this a lot better than he'd be able to. When she dodged the stinger, Arthur noticed a red aura surrounding it. He quickly realised that was some kind of evil intent, his eyes were practically highlighting what part of the body the Manticore was going to use to attack. Looked like his eyes were pretty good for predicting movements in a fight too, he made mental note. It also let him know that the attack wasn't finished, and he could do nothing but watch the Manticore's strategy pay off and strike Caitlin, paralysing her in approximately a second. As the stinger pulled back, Arthur's body seemed to move on it's own without hesitation. He ran forwards, not slowing or holding back in the slightest. His right hand slid into his pocket, desperately trying to grab and shatter the crystal Thanatos had given him before he became a shield for Zeus' daughter. The slow drawing back of the stinger allowed Arthur to reach Caitlin's side as it shot forth. The time had come to make a choice, would he take the hit or let her die? The slightest hesitation would make the choice for him. If he took it, he knew they were both as good as dead. Both paralysed, they stood no chance against this beast. Alone and free to move, he may stand a chance. Hell, he could close in while it killed her and freeze it's face off maybe. The only choice in his mind was to let her die, as cruel as it seemed. But his body gave his mind the metaphorical finger and refused to slow. Before he could command otherwise, he'd moved in front of Caitlin and was raising his left hand in an attempt to bat the stinger off course. Given it's size and weight, he failed to knock it away completely, but he did knock it upwards. The stinger pierced his shoulder with a low grunt and Arthur's blood splattered the floor. Instantly he could feel the paralytic poison coursing through his veins. His right hand shattered the crystal in his pocket as he heard a light gasp behind him, Caitlin's eyes opened to witness him take the hit.  
"A-Arthur..." She stuttered, managing to get the words out.

Black sparks began circling Arthur's right arm as it came out of his pocket. Slowly, the black crystal was doing something. He coughed, using the time to respond to her before the poison took away his ability to speak.  
"Sorry, Sky... this just seemed like a me problem." He closed his hand to clench a fist, but never fully did. As his right hand closed, a hilt appeared within and his hand closed around that instead. It was black, wrapped in white bandages. The blade was a short sword, the blade about 50cm long. It was as pitch black as night, save for a faint purple glow emanating from it. Caitlin recognised this metal instantly... Stygian Iron, a blade cooled in the River Styx itself! Refusing to give in to the poison he could feel spreading through his chest now, Arthur pulled his shoulder off the stinger and pushed forwards, far weaker than usual already. He swung the blade, aiming straight for the left cheek of the Manticore despite it's human face. Unable to pull back it's stinger in time, the Manticore turned it's face to the indestructible blade and bore it's sharp teeth. The blade clashed with the teeth and couldn't budge through. Not due to the blade in any way, Arthur was too weak. His swinging power was below half of what it regularly was. His eyes had returned to normal, his hands their regular temperature. The poison was shutting him down. He could barely move, how long would he be able to push this blade against the Manticore's teeth before he fell unconscious. Feeling his legs begin to buckle, he all but gave in. Before he had the chance to stop applying pressure, a yellow bolt of lightning fired from the daughter of Zeus' finger, which she'd been putting all her effort into tilting upwards towards the Manticore after she'd been saved from it's attack. The small bolt took all her energy, but it was enough. It didn't hit the Manticore, but Arthur's Stygian Iron short sword. The bolt heated the blade to an unrealistic level, giving it the slicing power it needed to move through the Manticore's teeth and head in general, slicing it's face in half. The monster's very essence was absorbed into the blade, a quality of Stygian Iron, which would henceforth prevent this particular bugger from reforming.

Dropping the blade, Arthur fell straight towards the floor and landed, hard. Poison was coursing through his body, and all he could do was wait for it to wear off. He knew his life and Caitlin's weren't in danger. He'd seen her aura after she'd been hit with the needle, there was no danger of death. As his sword hit the ground, it swirled around his wrist and formed a bracelet that Arthur couldn't properly examine in his current state, but a sword with the ability to transform did intrigue him. He breathed heavily, trying not to fall into unconsciousness. He held out another 10 seconds or so, but in the end he didn't have much chance and slipped off to sleep. Meanwhile, Caitlin's eyes had already closed. Although stuck on her knees, her position was perfect. She was able to focus, breathe calmly and focus her powers. She was sending electrical shocks through her body, slowly eradicating as many traces of the poison coursing through her as she could. It took a few minutes before she could move properly, and the pain was still pretty hard to take, but she'd pull through. Bending down, she picked up Arthur's unconscious form and slung him over her shoulder. His weight didn't exactly ease her pain, but whatever. He'd saved her life at the cost of the injuries he'd sustained that not rendered him unconscious, she couldn't complain about the pain of carrying him. With a painfully slow pace, Caitlin stumbled off, searching for a safe and enclosed space to rest in before the duo were discovered. Pain blanked most of her thoughts, but one managed to reach her anyways. It was short, simple.  
 _Stygian Iron, huh? Interesting._


End file.
